The Drawing of the Three

"Taking place mere hours following the dramatic events seen in The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three continues with Roland of Gilead on his solitary quest for the Dark Tower, leading him to a seemingly endless stretch of beach along the Western Sea--a terrain filled with unearthly monstrosities that mean certain death if he lets his guard down. But there are other mysteries along this desolate shoreline as well: three arcane doorways standing freely in the sand and cryptically designated as The Prisoner, The Lady of Shadows, and The Pusher. Each one is a portal to our world's New York City at different points in time, and each one is complete with its own set of dangers that could spell the end of Roland's journey. The world has moved on, and the Tower draws even closer..."--Back cover.

Opinion

From the critics

Community Activity

Comment

After reading the first book in the Dark Tower series, I knew I wanted to read the rest. I was in no rush as I didn't enjoy the book as much as most did. It was a 3 star read for me. A friend of mine told me they get considerably better adding that the movie wasn't based on a single book. I decided to give it a second go. I finished the first a year ago, so it's time.

Unlike the first book, I was surprisingly hooked in with this book. I didn't feel like any of the characters fell flat or were forced. A few bits made me uneasy, but I enjoyed it. I knew a lot of people were upset with the casting of Idris Elba as Roland because he isn't white. Even more, people came out saying 'The gunslinger's race is never mentioned.' While I LOVE the casting choice, I know the people that said that never read the books. One of the central points in this book is that he is white. It's not just mentioned, it's pounded into your head on almost every page. Whitewashing has always happened to Minorities, and either way, Idris is still an excellent choice. That being said, If you haven't read the books, don't make false claims.

I can't wait to see what happens in the third book. I've already put a hold on the audiobook at my library. If you were thinking about quitting the series after the first book, it's worth another go. I know I'm glad I gave it a shot.

Volume 2 of the Dark Tower saga drops us right back with an ailing Roland - whose luck turns from bad to worse as he crawls toward an open door. A door that takes him into our world and into the mind of heroin addicted Eddie Dean. He is the first of three people whom Roland must 'draw' in order to continue his quest for the dark tower. After Eddie there is "The Lady of Shadows" (Odetta Holmes and her dark personality known as Detta Walker). Then there is the third, a third that I won't get into here.

Roland has been along on his quest for so long and he's still reeling from the terrible choice he had to make in the previous book. Roland does not want to get attached to these people but it happens all the same, and they know exactly where they are at end of the day on Roland's priority list but the Dark Tower has a pull on everyone who gets sucked into it. No matter what world they're from.

We jump times in this one, deal with more horrors in Roland's world (one word: lobstrocities), and like the new characters we meet in this book, you can't help but want to journey on no matter where it leads.

I'm REALLY glad I decided to continue with The Dark Tower series beyond The Gunslinger. Book two of the series is much more character-driven and cohesive than the first one. The gunslinger himself is a much more interesting character, and I love the two new additions to his crew: Eddie and Susannah. It was so great to see Eddie grow from a smuggling junkie to a gunslinger in his own right. And, while I hated, hated, HATED Detta's ridiculous jive talk, I really enjoyed the suspense she created in the book and the final resolution of her character.

The action in this book was amazing. The firefight between the gunslinger and Eddie versus the New York mafiosos was some of the best action I've ever read. The lobstrosities legit gave me nightmares. And, again, Detta was just a menace, but a menace that kept you on the edge of your seat. If the rest of the series continues like this, I'm definitely in it 'til the finish.

Another really good addition to the Dark Tower series. It transitioned nicely between the events from the last book and the inclusion of the new characters in this one. How they were brought in was great. Stephen King does not disappoint.

The first volume, The Gunslinger, was alright. Remarkable in some areas; tediously slow and bewildering in others. Stephen King likes to work out his stories as he writes, which allows for some frickin' brilliant narration, but then consistency errors tend to compound if his work spans multiple volumes. This very problem will hamper the Dark Tower series later on. For now though, here near the start of the quest, Roland's world is largely unexplored and flush with possibility.

The Drawing of the Three, volume two in King's Dark Tower opus, is where the tone starts to resemble the series we fans have come to love. Roland's palaver with the Man in Black at the end of the last book has left him somewhat aimless, his singular goal to reach the Dark Tower now complicated by this additional undertaking to draw three companions into his world. What the Man in Black's purpose is in all of this remains a mystery for now.

This is Stephen King at near the top of his game in my opinion. The characters come alive, almost entirely via their back-and-forth verbal exchanges. King is an especially gifted writer of dialogue. The Lady of Shadows in particular will make you cringe. You'll see what I mean. Also, the pacing, the mounting tension, and humor hit all the right beats. If The Drawing of the Three doesn't leave you craving more of the Dark Tower story, then cry off the trail now.

Started Thurs. Oct 30, 2013 Didn't understand "The Gunslinger" at all, but thought I'd continue with the series and see how it went. I'm enjoying this second book much more.....Tues Nov 5, on page 166.

The second installment in King's "Dark Tower" series and my favourite of the seven. A much larger book than The Gunslinger, it introduces the remaining characters in Roland's world and alludes to things that will happen later in the series. For some reason, the opening scene on a beach in the limbo-earth that Roland inhabits is particularly horrifying.

This second book in the series is nothing at all like the first book which I loved (Gunslinger). This 2nd book was a little ridiculous at times but it seems that King is using this book to set up the characters for the rest of the series. Even though I found it a bit silly, it was still a good story that leaves you wanting to know what happens next.